What should a nurse do when preparing to administer eye drops to a client with glaucoma?

When administering eye drops to a client with glaucoma, applying pressure to the punctum after instilling the medication is a beneficial technique. This action helps to minimize systemic absorption of the medication through the nasolacrimal duct. By preventing the drops from draining into the nasal passage, the nurse ensures that a greater amount of the medication remains in the eye, which is crucial for treating conditions like glaucoma where lowering intraocular pressure is necessary.

Instructing the client to wait 10 minutes before applying the next drop can be important for certain medications, but the pressure technique is more critical to ensure optimal absorption of the initial dose. Advising the client to blink several times after instillation may lead to the medication being displaced and not being retained effectively in the eye. Closing the eye gently for 5 minutes post-application could also support absorption, but the technique of punctal occlusion (applying pressure) is more effective in reducing systemic side effects and is widely recommended in practice. Therefore, applying pressure to the punctum is the preferred and most effective method in this context.